A very important question.

Hello all, hope you are all well. I just love this forum! As some may know, I went to my first intro to LL only to be told I had to wait another 5 weeks to start. No one's fault I must say, but was a little peed off....anywho...I am finding that while I wait for the 5 weeks to come (first week in May) I am starting to wonder what on earth I am doing :confused: Funny thing is - I used to be a scottish slimmers manager - and no, was 2 1/2 stone overweight, but it was fine.....I stood there and told my wonderful members never to skip a meal as it was bad for them, most importantly, when they came to eat again - their body would take it and store it, just in case of the 'starvation' again. This MUST be the same as LL and many other VLCD's. Even watching the LL website a woman at her goal weight said she put on 1lb after eating a low fat yogurt :eek: Yes, I understand fully that I will get results fast, and so many of you are doing sooo well, but will it all be in vain as for the rest of my life i'll have to eat like a rabbit, stay off the booze and be miserable - but yes, slim :( Slim would and will be amazing, but I also want to be able to eat sensibly and have a normal life without worrying about my body taking everything back and holding onto it for the next time i need to go on LL.

I need your help on this one please.........and sorry for moaning - I should get to sleep as i'm sooo tired!

Lots of love,
Sharon x
 
.I stood there and told my wonderful members never to skip a meal as it was bad for them, most importantly, when they came to eat again - their body would take it and store it, just in case of the 'starvation' again.

And very good advice that is too (for most diets) :clap:
This MUST be the same as LL and many other VLCD's.
No, it's different ;)

When you reduce your carbs to a certain level, you reduce your glycogen and go into ketosis. The great thing about ketosis, is that it usually reduces your hunger levels. That means with VLCDs such as Cambridge, Lighterlife and lipotrim, you can manage well on so few calories.

So, you lose a lot of weight usually in the first week (mainly glycogen). If you then have something 'carby' the glycogen replaces very quickly causing a gain, and you can come out of ketosis and feel hungry again.

Of course, you wouldn't want to stay in ketosis forever, so these diets have refeeding steps which you do when you are either at goal, or near that place.

The 'refeeding' plans move up the calorie and carb scale, so as the glycogen replenishes, the calorie allowance is still small enough to stop you putting on weight.

By the time you get to the end of the diet (including the 'refeeding' process), your glycogen and calories are back to normal. You then don't have the sudden gain when you eat something like a low fat yoghurt.

As for the starvation mode, because of the balance of carbs/protein/fat in the shakes, you burn fat well, and reduce the risk of losing lean tissue.
but will it all be in vain as for the rest of my life i'll have to eat like a rabbit, stay off the booze and be miserable -
Indeed it would, but hopefully I can put your mind at rest. I lost 8 stone with the Cambridge VLCD and have maintained for blah....2 years 8 months? (can't see my ticker from here :D)

I don't diet anymore and can eat the same amount of calories compared to other ladies of my age without gaining.

Hope that explains it :) Very best of luck with LL. Damn nuisance you have to wait so long to start it though :(
 
If you think you can finish the diet, then go back to eating exactly as you did before but stay slim, then you're in a dream world.....and I'd like to live there too!

Your weight will ALWAYS reflect your lifestyle......eat and live unhealthily and you'll be fat....... eat and live healthily and you'll be slim. It really is as simple as that! The counselling and RTM help you get your head around that idea. You need to make a choice. If being slim and staying slim is important to you, then make it a priority.....and if that means going for a walk, buying healthier food and saying no to a doughnut EVERY day.....then that's the choice you make.

What I've found with the counselling AND the RTM process is that I no longer choose to eat rubbish. I'm REALLy enjoying eating lovely healthy foods, cooking from scratch.......and I feel physically sick when I see crisps/chocolate - something I never thought I'd say! All I see is the rubbish in these over-produced foods, and I spend my days craving salad, Quorn and fruit with Greek Yoghurt.

Hence why I'm well below 8st7 and finding it VERY easy to stay there! I also go to aerobics 3 times a week and run twice a week because I feel so fabulous afterwards! I'm never tired and bloated, so I never think "I can't be bothered" when its time to do some exercise!

I may sound very 'holier than thou' now - but I was 14st7, fat, miserable and could barely haul myself out of bed last September, and would rather eat a whole pizza and oven chips than consider chopping a vegetable. This is the difference with LL!
 
DebG
They are very encouraging words I aim to be like you & all the others on here who have changed the way of eating as a life change after LL
Thank you
 
No worries - I'm glad I can help others with some advice now I am through the worst of the weight loss saga, as others did when I was new to the diet. A lot of us LL'ers are very evangelical about the whole thing once they've gone through the diet, and its hard not to promote!!!!
 
If you think you can finish the diet, then go back to eating exactly as you did before but stay slim, then you're in a dream world.....and I'd like to live there too!

So true, but nevertheless, a sudden gain can happen with something relatively harmless whilst you are in ketosis, which is what the OP was referring to ;)

I never thought I'd say! All I see is the rubbish in these over-produced foods, and I spend my days craving salad, Quorn and fruit with Greek Yoghurt.
BTW, did you know that quorn is highly processed:eek: It's accepted in the UK, but in some other countries there's been a fair amount of controversy over it. Long-term effects of eating it unknown (etc.)

I'll agree with the rest though :D :D
 
Quorn IS processed, but we are not talking on the same scale as frozen pizza, oven chips, ready meals etc. It also has more protein and less fat than most meats, which makes it a fabulous weight loss food, no matter which diet you are doing, especially for vegetarians.

As for the first point - I don't understand.... do you mean taking lemon or citric acid whilst in ketosis, which once you're eating won't matter?
 
Quorn IS processed, but we are not talking on the same scale as frozen pizza, oven chips, ready meals etc. It also has more protein and less fat than most meats, which makes it a fabulous weight loss food, no matter which diet you are doing, especially for vegetarians.

Indeed. Just a lot of people don't realise that quorn is made in huge vats and highly processed, but yes, it's very handy for vegetarians.

As for the first point - I don't understand.... do you mean taking lemon or citric acid whilst in ketosis, which once you're eating won't matter?

I think the OP was referring to the fact that someone put on a pound eating a yoghurt when on a VLCD. This can happen with the glycogen replenishing, which is why it's important to increase your carbs carefully.

I was just explaining that it isn't a long term problem. Yes of course, if you go back to eating as you were before, once you've finished the diet, then you'll put the weight back on, but eating a yoghurt wont make you put a pound on, as she was wondering. Not after you've finished the diet.
 
Thanks

Thanks so much for all of your posts - knowing that you guys have done it and are maintaining, or even just doing so well, means lots. I went to my doctors today for him to sign my form for LL. He said he would sign it, but that LL should be a last option. He asked how much I weighed - he said :eek:, made me stand on the scales, and sure enough - I was right! :rolleyes: He asked where I was hiding 'it all' 'oh it's all there' I said.

He told me to book blood tests tommorow to rule out a thyroid problem as he said the last weight he has me down for was 64 kilo's......so I reminded him that that was when I was pregnant in 1998 - today, I am 104!!! :( He also said that I would be better eating healthy and doing weights - I know what he was saying was correct, and he did say it would be a good way to start off to give me a kick start - then he aske how many calories it was, told him, and he was like.......:eek:. He then mentioned about taking some drug...named 2 of them - and I said no way.....he told me being in ketosis would make my breath smell really bad and not very nice to be around.....:cry: So, I cut a deal with him, to re think and maybe try out their low carb diet ran through the nurse, or when I came for by blood test, he would sign......so I have no signature for my form and have to wait all over again...........oh and also while there speaking with him, the surgery had a power cut, first one ever....was this a sign? :D

lots of love,
Sharon x
 
you may not get bad breath sharon, I never did (unless nobody told me, LOL)
I think it is partly because we drink so much water.
You are allowed gold spot spray, and unlimited toothpaste, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I hope you can get it all sorted with your GP.
 
I've not had bad breath problems either, and I instructed my husband to tell me straightaway if it happened...

Shazzy, don't worry, you could go elsewhere to have your form signed - your LLC will be able to advise you.

It seems to me you're freaking out a bit - it happened to me too right before I started. Whether or not to go for LL is a decision only you can make. However, remember that you're not bound to it for any length of time as it's a pay-as-you-go programme, so you can always drop out if it's not for you.

Good luck with whatever you decide. x
 
Freaking out!

'Freaking out' seems to sum it up to a T! I know, and i'm probably worrying about nothing - BUT.....I was told that you must stay on the plan for 100 and you are bound to pay up until then...now, maybe this is why I am freaking out, that it's not for me and I waste nearly a grand. Thanks so much for telling me this, I feel a whole lot better already! :eek:

As for the bad breath, i'm glad it hasn't affected the 2 of you - hope i'm as lucky.

Shall phone surgery tomo and get bloods done and doc to sign my form so I can start in beg of May - ROLL ON!!

Lots of love,
Sharon xx
 
I think the OP was referring to the fact that someone put on a pound eating a yoghurt when on a VLCD. This can happen with the glycogen replenishing, which is why it's important to increase your carbs carefully.

I was just explaining that it isn't a long term problem. Yes of course, if you go back to eating as you were before, once you've finished the diet, then you'll put the weight back on, but eating a yoghurt wont make you put a pound on, as she was wondering. Not after you've finished the diet.

Aah .... ok - I'm with you now.:)
 
Oh.... and no bad breath here either - just drink your recommended 4 litres of water and you should be fine!
 
Could I say that for a woman of 104 you sound remarkably good! What's your secret?
 
shazzy if you have no luck with the doc why not try w8 www.allaboutw8.co.uk because you dont do 100 days abstinence you dont need a doctors letter. Also theres no 'tie ins' just try it for a week or two and see how you go. You could even start while you are waiting to get into LL if thats still want to do. Its £49 per week if there is a consultant in your area - but if not you can do it online and pay postage on top (around £6.00) where abouts do you live? if you want more details email me on [email protected] and i can help start you off - you could start on friday!!
 
Hi Shazzy, I'm just waiting to start ligther life to just now. As I have said on previous post been waiting for 7 weeks but get to start one week tomorrow. :D

Anyway, just wanted to say that I came up against a similar thing to you when I first went to the GP to get my form signed. After trying to palm me off with weight loss drugs, which I said I didn't want under any circumstances, she tried to make a deal with me. She wanted me to lose 2 stone BEFORE i was started the diet. Baring in mind I have 9 stone to lose in seemed a bit pointless to me. She then suggested basically I eat less and move more!!! Did she think that this was new imformation?

Anyway, what I really wanted to say that I hoped would set your mind at rest was, I then went to see a second GP who took one look at my form and said that she had just resently lost something massive like 8 stone on lighter life and was happy to sign my form free of charge.

If a GP is doing it, how bad for you can it be?

Sorry for the ramble btw. :D Best of luck with your blood tests.
 
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